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True Crime Stories of Upstate South Carolina
Upstate South Carolina is a scenic region of business centers, farms and textile towns. But it has a dark side. In 1924, a local resident was convicted for poisoning a neighbor in a case that went to the state supreme court. One resident aided a prisoner in a daring outbreak in the name of love. Fairfield County had its own version of witch trials. Crime writer Cathy Pickens brings a novelist's eye to the Upstate's real crime stories and the international headlines and the little-known tales that define the sinister--and quirky--side of her home state.
144 pages, Paperback
Published May 30, 2022
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Cathy Pickens
24 books65 followersCrime writer Cathy Pickens started her writing life as a mystery novelist. The first of five mysteries in the Southern Fried series won St. Martin’s Award for Best New Traditional Mystery.
Her fascination with the power of real crime stories led to a series for History Press, starting with Charleston Mysteries and Charlotte True Crime Stories.
She is a frequent mystery convention panelist, speaking on topics ranging from Southern mysteries to classic true crime stories to the use of poisons. At various times and under various aliases, she’s been a trial attorney specializing in complex civil litigation; a university provost; a business school professor (at Queens University of Charlotte); a church organist and choir director; and a ballroom and clog dance coach.
She has served as national president of Sisters in Crime, on the national board of Mystery Writers of America, and a founding board member of the regional Forensic Medicine Program.
Based on her book CREATE! Develop Your Creative Process, she offers workshops on developing the creative process. She also coaches and teaches new writers through Charlotte Lit, and works with former inmates and those in rehab on starting their own businesses and writing their own stories.
Her fascination with the power of real crime stories led to a series for History Press, starting with Charleston Mysteries and Charlotte True Crime Stories.
She is a frequent mystery convention panelist, speaking on topics ranging from Southern mysteries to classic true crime stories to the use of poisons. At various times and under various aliases, she’s been a trial attorney specializing in complex civil litigation; a university provost; a business school professor (at Queens University of Charlotte); a church organist and choir director; and a ballroom and clog dance coach.
She has served as national president of Sisters in Crime, on the national board of Mystery Writers of America, and a founding board member of the regional Forensic Medicine Program.
Based on her book CREATE! Develop Your Creative Process, she offers workshops on developing the creative process. She also coaches and teaches new writers through Charlotte Lit, and works with former inmates and those in rehab on starting their own businesses and writing their own stories.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 29, 2022
Interesting book about the history of murders in the upstate of South Carolina. If you are from or just visited the area you will recognize a lot of the locations mentioned. Living in SC for decades I had heard of a lot of these crimes, but it was interesting to hear the background behind them.
December 30, 2023
Enjoyed the read. Even though it's a book on crime I could've used a warning before Susan Smith. Something about crimes involving children is a little more taxing. Otherwise it covered plenty of crimes I wasn't aware of.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews